Phoenix Coyotes: Here To Stay

I woke up this morning with the familiar knot in my stomach. It was another Coyote’s deadline day and although I’d been reassured by both fans and future owners alike, I allowed that tiny bit of doubt to creep in. In the past, I’d try to distance myself from the rumors; in fact, I deliberately avoided researching and writing about the ownership saga-save for those spellbinding Glendale City council meetings. If you know me, you know that I adore comedy and oh, were those meetings comedy gold! Dare I say on this day that I’ll miss that crusty cast of characters?

And, during the last meeting, I had a series of texts from a player asking, “Is it done yet? Just tell me when the answer is yes.” I felt like a nervous dad in an old fashioned setting; pacing the waiting room, hoping to tell the folks that the baby had been delivered and yes, he was healthy and robust. And that night, when the ayes outweighed the nays, I sent a text back to the player with a single word, “yes,” but still I woke up today unsure.

So here I am, having just finished listening to Anthony LeBlanc of the new ownership group, while a re-run of the Coyote’s 2010 playoff series against Detroit plays in the background. I'm tapping away on my laptop and realizing that yes, it’s finally over and my beloved team is here to stay. Now, much like the players, I can concentrate solely on hockey. I can report like any other hockey journalist can. My stories, thoughts and comments won’t have to carry an asterisk any longer because now we have a bona fide ownership group and a plan to get all the little things in place to make our team successful. To paraphrase LeBlanc; and frankly it’s something I’ve been saying for years, “Imagine how successful we can be?” The team has achieved much even while under duress; we are about to find out just how high is high.

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